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22.00 So, in order, here is how the night panned out. Chelsea >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Newcastle > Spurs. Pretty poor showings from Spurs and Newcastle, although I'd argue that Newcastle losing to a Very Good team and not having one of the best players in the world stretchered off in worrying circumstances at the end is slightly better than Spurs being fairly battered by a team from Switzerland and losing wor Gareth. And wor Aaron in the first half, with an injury that looked less severe. Hats marginally off to Chelsea, who will have to go some to muck up a 3-1 lead against what looked a limited Rubin Kazan team. Testing times ahead for the other two. And for me, when I return to the mirror image of this liveblog in a week. Fenerbahce beat Lazio 2-0, by the way. Thanks for your company, I'll talk to you again soon.

FULL TIME

21.56 That's it in the other two games, full time all round.

21.54 Full time at Chelsea. In rather more significant news Gareth Bale has gone down injured for Spurs with what looks like a very painful ankle injury. There's a stretcher on.

21.53 Into added time in all three games, two minutes at Chelsea, three at Spurs and four at Benfica.

21.51 Credit to Newcastle in Portugal, they've kept their chins up after going 3-1 down and stuck to the task of closing down Benfica, when it would have been easy to fold and get tonked. As it is they're going into a second leg knowing that a 2-0 home win takes them through.

21.48 Brief moment of panic in the Chelsea box after Kuzmin crosses from the left and around five of the men in blue fail to do anything about it. In the end Cech makes it his.

21.45 Spurs really hanging on, you know. Stocker and El-Nenny combine on the edge of the box to tee up a presentable chance for the latter. Just over. Basle looking far fresher and far more likely to score in the remaining handful of minutes.

21.40 11 minutes of normal time left in all three games. Basle still looking the better side against Spurs. Newcastle not doing too badly after conceding the penalty, and would probably take 1-3 at this stage. Chelsea have also seemingly settled on 3-1, but are still wholly in charge against Rubin Kazan.

21.38 Thanks to the eagle-eyed liveblog fans who spotted me mixing up Scott Parker for Davide Santon. They don't even play for the same club, do they? No they do not. I did warn you that my sanity was at risk just before half time. I will be dreaming about this combination of Andy Townsend, Jon Champion, Clkve Tyldesley, Davie Proven and seemingly about nine other people's voices tonight.

71 min GOAL!! Benfica 3 Newcastle 1 (Cardozo) No mistake at the second time of asking by Cardozo, who trots forward to the spot with a run-up that seems to last about seven minutes befor putting the ball into unsaveable territory to Krul's right.

70 min GOAL!! Chelsea 3 Rubin Kazan 1 (Torres) Cardozo scores the penalty for Benfica, but the referee orders it to be re-taken for one of the softest encroachment awards you will ever see. Meanwhile Fernando Torres has headed Chelsea into a lead more befitting the pattern of their game.

21.30 PENALTY TO BENFICA! Blatant handball by Taylor in the box, but it took the official behind the goal, to award it. First recorded incident of that guy doing anything of use, ever?

66 min GOAL!! Benfica 2 Newcastle 1 (Lima) Oh dear, Davide Santon has had a gigantic nightmare. Horrendous blind pass back to Krul when under pressure on the left. He doesn't realise Lima is lurking, and he gleefully latches on, rounds Krul, and finishes unerringly from a narrow angle.

21.26 Stocker gives Friedel the willies with a free kick from just shy of the area. Needs tip over the bar by the justified and ancient Spurs keeper. Nothing doing from the corner for Basle.

21.22 Big chance for Basle! Vertonghen, not having his best game tonight, loses concentration and allows Salah in behind. He's got time, arguably too much as the received wisdom goes, to pick his spot for a one on one against Friedel. Blazes over. should have scored.

58 min GOAL!! Spurs 2 Basle 2 (Sigurdsson) There's the Gylfi Sigurdsson that Spurs assumed they had bought. Nice attention-drawing run from Vertonghen to allow Sigurdsson time and space to shoot from range on the left-hand side. Takes a crucial deflection to wrongfoot Sommer, but it certainly was going to test the keeper anyway. Spurs back on non-away-goals terms.

21.18 Naughton goes close for Spurs! Beautifully-struck shot from outside the box, Sommer had to thow himself at it to save his team's skin. Meanwhile in Lisbon Benfica go close to taking the lead, Cardozo just failling to connect from a Rodrigo pass which left Krul stranded.

21.16 Somewhat surprisingly it's Basle looking the more likely to change the score at White Hart Lane. The Swiss side have been mightilly impressive, with Steller, Salah and Stocker causing Tottenham's defence all manner of problems.

21.14 Newcastle may have been post-deprived on two occasions, but perhaps they're somewhat lucky to be on level terms. This pertinent statistical tweet from our friends at Opta would suggest as much:

<noframe>Twitter: OptaJoe - 14 - Benfica have already had more shots (14 inc. blocked) in this game than in any of their previous 4 EL games this season. Rampant.</noframe>

21.12 Chelsea still very much on top against Rubin Kazan, the Russians' goal came hugely against the run of play. Chelsea must make sure they leave this game with a healthy lead, lest that away goal assumes too much significance.

21.10 Cisse hits the post for Newcastle! The visitors in Portugal so unlucky again. Cisse springs the offside trap after good work from Guttierez, beats Artur with a lob, but sees Benfica rescued by the post from one of his shots for the second time this evening.

20.53 Three breathless games. Absolutely tremendous entertainment from the Europa League again, but it may come at the price of my sanity. Watching and listening to three matches at once and trying to stay on top of them rather than just bellowing footballing terms like "GOAL!" "PASS!" and "GALLAS!" at them is quite the challenge. I'm off for a lie down in a dark room. Then back in 15. See you then.

HALF TIME

20.51 Half time at Benfica. Newcastle hanging on some towards the end of the half. Same at Chelsea. Spurs join the club shortly afterwards.

20.49 Parker with a HORRIBLE miss for Spurs! Oh my, that is dreadful. Holtby put through, Sommer makes a decent save, but it comes to Parker in the six yard box, no more than three yards from goal, and he puts it wide! Slight chance that it got a minor deflection off Holtby on its way. I'd prefer that it hadn't. Who doesn't enjoy a hilari-miss?

41 min GOAL!! Chelsea 2 Rubin Kazan 1 (Natcho) Natcho gets an away goal for Rubin Kazan from the penalty spot. Terry harshly adjudged to have handled in the box from a well-struck shot, Natcho puts it high and beyond Cech.

41 min GOAL!! Spurs 1 Basle 2 (Adebayor) Spurs back in it, benefitting from a deflection of their own, Parker's pass inside the area coming off Steinhofer and arriving at Adebayor, who hooks home skillfully.

20.41 Basle nearly make it three! Spurs undone by a prosaic hoof and flick-on, Stocker's in behind and tries to dink it over Friedel. He succeeds, but it lands just wide of the post. Tottenham crying out for some delicious organge wedges.

34 min GOAL!! Spurs 0 Basle 2 (Frei) Deary me, it's not going Jan Vertonghen's way this evening. Another unfortunate deflection takes the ball directly into the path of Fabian Frei from a corner. But the crime had been commited by Bale earlier, failing to track his man from the set piece, allowing an unopposed near-post flick-on. Spurs in deep, chocolately, neutral Swiss trouble.

33 min GOAL!! Chelsea 2 Rubin Kazan 0 (Moses) Wowzers, crikey, and blimey. Absolutely glorious strike from Victor Moses, leathering an uncertain clearance into the top corner from 25 yards with immense power and terrible fury. No chance for Ryhzhikov.

30 min GOAL!! Spurs 0 Basle 1 (Stocker) Big slice of luck for Basle in the build-up for that goal, with Stocker benefitting from a fortunate rebound off Vertonghen. But everything after that is exemplary. Nice pass, great spin and shot by Streller, hits the post, but Stocker's there to deal with the follow-up.

20.33 Another hairy moment for Krul, who, despite an excellent save, again parries a firmly-struck shot straight to a Benfica player. It's Rodrigo once more, but this time Krul gets back on his feet to make an excellent recovery save.

25 min GOAL!! Benfica 1 Newcastle 1 (Rodrigo) How quickly the footballing worm turns. Newcastle had Benfica rocking, but Cardozo hammers a shot at Krul from long range, he can only parry it and it rebounds fortuitously towards Rodrigo for a straightforward poacher's goal.

20.29 At White Hart Lane Aaron Lennon has had to go off with a not-too-serious-looking injury. Sigurdsson replaces him. Here's some hot in-game action:

20.28 Newcastle nearly make it 2-0! Instinctive save by Artrur to deny Cisse from a deflected shot. Directs it onto the post, but it rolls agonisingly across the line before the Benfica keeper smothers it. So very close.

20.26 Torres nearly just set up Mata with one of those nifty behind-the-standing-leg chop-pass-cross things. HE'S BACK! Rubin got a man in the way, sadly for the Spaniard(s). Soon afterwards there's a one-on-one for Mata from the left-hand side of the pitch. He beats Ryhzhikov but it's headed clear by Sharonov before it can reach the line. Rubin look there for the taking.

20.24 Spurs beginning to play nice enough stuff up front to cancel out the comedy of errors William Gallas is directing and starring in at the back. Holtby plays a clever disguised pass to Bale from Lennon's ball from the wing. Bale drags it just wide.

17 min GOAL!! Chelsea 1 Rubin Kazan 0 (Torres) Comical goal! Luiz plays an excellent ball over the top, perfectly weighted for the ghost of Fernando Torres to run on to. He holds off Navas, then falls over. There are a number of fortuitous bobbles off him and the centre back. In the end, a prone Torres sweeps it past Ryhzhikov from inside the six yard box.

20.20 Not a tremendous attendance at Stamford Bridge tonight, and an especially disappointing turn-out from the away fans, says Henry Winter:

<noframe>Twitter: Henry Winter - About 30 Rubin Kazan fans at the Bridge, including one resplendent in Red Army uniform, well-decorated judging by his medals.</noframe>

12 min GOAL!! Benfica 0 Newcastle 1 (Cisse) Very nice indeed by Newcastle, who have found it surprisingly easy-going thus far this evening. Simpson plays a neat ball towards Sissoko, who's drifted to the right-hand side. He crosses for Cisse who cannot miss from approx 1.5 yards out and subsequently fails to miss. That's a huge away goal.

20.15 Concerning dithering in the box by William Gallas at White Hart Lane, he's nearly forced into a more serious error by the pressing of Streller and Cabral. Then Strellar with a great chance for Basle! Another mistake by Gallas, who fails to get anywhere near the striker, but fortunately for Spurs Friedel is more alert and makes the save.

20.13 Back in England, in the less eventful games, Tottenham are bristling with neutered intent against Basle, while Chelsea have failed to get going against Rubin. Benoit Assou-Ekotto's hair is looking pretty special. Robert Dobson has submitted his answer to the question posed above:

God knows but the Tottenham v. Leicester league cup final of about 12 years back certainly felt like about 630 minutes worth.

20.10 Cisse again gets in behind from a fairly unremarkable ball over the top. He fails to worry Artur in the Benfica goal again, but encouraging signs for Newcastle that the Portuguese lot can be "got at", as is the current phraseology.

20.07 Papiss Cisse with a reasonable chance in Portugal for Newcastle. Sissoko playing a probing diagonal ball over the high Benfica defensive line which allows Cisse to shoot from a tight angle on the right. Straight at Artur, unfortunately.

20.05 Chelsea have the honour of being in the game with the first kick-off this evening. Spurs follow shortly afterwards. Still waiting in relaxed Portugal.... We're off there too. Let's have it.

20.00 Some teams are walking onto some pitches. I've got three screens on the go. My computer, built and perfected to the rigorous standards of 1998, is struggling. This can only mean one thing: Europa League liveblog excitement time soon commence yes please.

19.55 Time for the evening's first pertinent statistical tweet from our friends at Opta:

<noframe>Twitter: OptaJoe - 7 - Rubin Kazan have scored the first goal of the game in seven of their 10 matches in the Europa League this season. Threat.</noframe>

19.45 Newcastle scarves for sale at the Stadium of Light shock! No, not the Sunderland one, you silly goose. And also not entirely Newcastle scarves. Still...

19.30 You will be pleased to hear that Luke Edwards is having a marvellous time in Portugal:

<noframe>Twitter: Luke Edwards - Pumping out Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal at Benfica's Stadium of Light. I confess to a short hip wiggle and gyrate on way to press seat</noframe>

19.12 We have teams for all of the English teams involved tonight. I shall add their opponents' line-ups when they arrive:

Far be it for me to question the wisdom of our benevolent Switzerland-based footballing overlords, but why, at this critical stage of the always-excellent Europa League are four matches taking place at the same time?

Fans of this marvellous competition, and we are a growing bunch, have been reared on seemingly-arbitrary teatime kick-offs with a second helping of 8pm games at every previous stage.

Now we've reached the business end and they're all happening at once, and muggins here has got to keep an eye on three games at once. Muggins says hi, by the way. He's doing fine.

Newcastle United have the standout toughest task this evening. They're the only English club that are playing away from home, and it's against Portuguese league-leaders Benfica, who haven't lost a game since October (!) and have scored 102 (one-hundred! and two!) goals in all competitions this season.

But M. Alain's occasionally functional teams have proved they have the mettle to secure away draws in hostile places already in this campaign, most notably against Anzhi Makhachkala in one of the least interesting games ever devised one round ago.

It's ostensibly an easier job for Tottenham Hotspur at home to Basle, with a reasonably comfortable victory a not-unreasonable expectation. Hopefully this won't mean skirting dangerously close to gigantic embarrassment after a horrendous second leg capitulation again, mind.

Chelsea will also fancy their chances of seeing off Rubin Kazan, but the team nominally managed by Rafa Benítez have flattered to deceive many times on this stage already this season. Rubin put out holders Atletico Madrid in the round of 32 and, along with Lazio, are the only team in the tournament that has not lost a match thus far.

Excited? Go on. Well, at least pretend.

Team news and frantic eye-darting around a number of screens to follow, stay tuned.